1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to treatment of solid cancers. More particularly, the invention relates to a negative ion source apparatus and method of used thereof for use in charged particle cancer therapy.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Cancer Treatment
Proton therapy works by aiming energetic ionizing particles, such as protons accelerated with a particle accelerator, onto a target tumor. These particles damage the DNA of cells, ultimately causing their death. Cancerous cells, because of their high rate of division and their reduced ability to repair damaged DNA, are particularly vulnerable to attack on their DNA.
Synchrotron
Patents related to the current invention are summarized here.
Proton Beam Therapy System
F. Cole, et. al. of Loma Linda University Medical Center “Multi-Station Proton Beam Therapy System”, U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,287 (Sep. 26, 1989) describe a proton beam therapy system for selectively generating and transporting proton beams from a single proton source and accelerator to a selected treatment room of a plurality of patient treatment rooms.
Problem
There exists in the art of charged particle cancer therapy a need to form anions, such as H− or C−, to extract and accelerate the anions into a negative ion beam, to convert the negative ion beam into a cation beam, such as a beam of protons or carbon ions, such as C6+, and to inject the cations into a synchrotron for subsequent acceleration and use in a charged particle tumor therapy system.